In Memoriam: 11 Sports Greats That Died in a Tough 2016

David Gonos 05:22 pm, December 16th, 2016

Looking back over the past year and seeing all the names of the people you’ve said goodbye to is always a perplexing moment. But reviewing all of the amazingly great athletes that died in 2016 seems to be much tougher than in recent years.

From boxing, tennis, football or extreme sports, to coaching, playing and broadcasting, some of the greatest names in sports died over the 2016 calendar year, and when you look at it as a whole, it seems to leave a bigger crater in our hearts.

11 Sports Greats We Said Goodbye To In 2016

Understand that there are dozens of former athletes, coaches, and other people related to sports that died over the past year, but this near-dozen group hit their sports harder than most.

Dave Mirra, X Games Champ

When the X Games began back in 1995, Mirra quickly became one of the biggest personalities for the alt-sports machine to key on. He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound this past February.

Unlike many other athletes, Mirra dominated in multiple sports, including BMX and rally car driver. (That would be like Jimmie Johnson also owning the Motocross circuit.)

Mirra medaled in every X Games between 1995 and 2009, and only in the past couple years did he relinquish the title of the X Games athlete with the most medals.

Photo Credit: Debra L. Rothenberg, Getty Images

Gordie Howe, NHL Forward

When you’re known as the “Mister” in your sport, it’s safe to say you made a mark on it. Mr. Hockey is considered to be one of the most complete hockey players in NHL history, and his longevity is legendary, making 23 NHL All-Star teams.

Howe played professional hockey in FIVE DIFFERENT DECADES, including 80 games with Hartford in 1980.

Note that his 1,767 games played in the NHL is still the career record, and it doesn’t even count the 419 games he played in the World Hockey Association from 1973-1979.

Photo Credit: Bruce Bennett, Getty Images

Pat Summitt, College Basketball Coach

Summitt became the winningest coach in NCAA Division I College Basketball history and it’s safe to say shes’ the biggest name in women’s college basketball history.

Summitt helped the sport get eyes and attention, and the sport and that University will be forever grateful.

She won eight national championships in 38 seasons in Knoxville, coming out on the winning side of nearly 1,100 basketball games with the Lady Vols.

Photo Credit: J. Meric, Getty Images

Arnold Palmer, PGA Champion

Palmer became the face of golf for a generation, with great looks and a charming personality, he helped build his sport into a mainstream property.

Strangely, his favorite drink at country clubs (iced tea mixed with lemonade) has become an eponymous drink we’ve all grown to love, making his name one that will be mentioned whenever someone needs something sweet, cool and refreshing.

Photo Credit: Hulton Archive, Getty Images

Kimbo Slice, Fighter

Slice, also known as former Hurricanes linebacker Kevin Ferguson, died of heart failure this past summer.

It’s tough to classify Slice as the greatest fighter or wrestler, since his mixed martial arts career was, well, mixed. But his backyard brawls became the stuff of legends, and it’s safe to say, he’s a top-five person you’d never want to owe a lot of money to.

Photo Credit: Jeff Kravitz, Getty Images

Muhammad Ali, Heavyweight Boxer

There’s not much that can be said about the greatest boxing champion in history that hasn’t already been said. While “greatness” is often measured by wins, losses and knockouts in the sweet science, it was Ali’s greatness outside of the ring that truly made him one of the most revered and loved people on the planet, until he finally succumbed to a body that started to give out on him decades ago.

Ali was once called the most famous human on the planet, and the range of people that grieved his death is testimony to his range as a personality.

Photo Credit: The Stanley Weston Archive, Getty Images

Craig Sager, Sideline Reporter

Nearly everyone thinks of loud, flamboyant blazers when they hear the name Craig Sager. But the NBA sideline reporter, who we got to know through TNT broadcasts, as well as NBC Sports, TBS and CNN. Already dealing with terminally ill cancer in June, he got to work the sidelines during Game 6 of the 2016 NBA Finals on ESPN.

His greatness comes from the fact he’s really considered one of, if not the, greatest sideline reporter ever – and he added personality to a job that is relatively void of it.

Photo Credit: Jed Jacobsohn, Getty Images

Rashaan Salaam, Running Back

One of the more recent deaths, the former Heisman winner for the University of Colorado had an abbreviated NFL career with the Bears, Browns, Packers and 49ers.

Where does his “greatness” come in? Consider that he was just the fourth college football running back at the time to rush for over 2,000 yards as a junior in 1994.

Reports indicate that he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and that CTE might be part of the reason for his early demise.

Photo Credit: Otto Greule Jr., Getty Images

Jose Fernandez, Starting Pitcher

After recovering from 2014 Tommy John surgery, Fernandez was having another phenomenal season before he died on Sept. 25 in a boating accident off of Miami Beach.

Fernandez was just 24 years old, and he had set the Marlins’ franchise record with 253 strikeouts in 2016.

His “greatness” comes from the fact that his 4.2 WAR in his rookie season placed him among the 10-best ever in baseball at his age.

Photo Credit: Denis Poroy, Getty Images

Buddy Ryan, NFL Coach

This tough S.O.B. was the only one that could make the 1985 Bears defense shake in their cleats.

Ryan has widely been considered the greatest defensive coordinator in NFL history, after his “46 Defense” revolutionized the game.

Ryan was an innovator and revolutionary on the defensive side of the scrimmage line as much as Bill Walsh was on the other side.

Photo Credit: Heinz Kluetmeier, Getty Images

Bud Collins, Tennis Broadcaster

Considered the voice of tennis, Collins has been covering the sport since the late ‘70s, for CBS, NBC and ESPN. He died this past spring, but the tennis world has honored him all year, solidifying his place as one of the sport’s greatest historians.

Dave Mirra, X Games Champ

When the X Games began back in 1995, Mirra quickly became one of the biggest personalities for the alt-sports machine to key on. He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound this past February.

Unlike many other athletes, Mirra dominated in multiple sports, including BMX and rally car driver. (That would be like Jimmie Johnson also owning the Motocross circuit.)

Mirra medaled in every X Games between 1995 and 2009, and only in the past couple years did he relinquish the title of the X Games athlete with the most medals.

Photo Credit: Debra L. Rothenberg, Getty Images

2/11

Gordie Howe, NHL Forward

When you’re known as the “Mister” in your sport, it’s safe to say you made a mark on it. Mr. Hockey is considered to be one of the most complete hockey players in NHL history, and his longevity is legendary, making 23 NHL All-Star teams.

Howe played professional hockey in FIVE DIFFERENT DECADES, including 80 games with Hartford in 1980.

Note that his 1,767 games played in the NHL is still the career record, and it doesn’t even count the 419 games he played in the World Hockey Association from 1973-1979.

Photo Credit: Bruce Bennett, Getty Images

3/11

Pat Summitt, College Basketball Coach

Summitt became the winningest coach in NCAA Division I College Basketball history and it’s safe to say shes’ the biggest name in women’s college basketball history.

Summitt helped the sport get eyes and attention, and the sport and that University will be forever grateful.

She won eight national championships in 38 seasons in Knoxville, coming out on the winning side of nearly 1,100 basketball games with the Lady Vols.

Photo Credit: J. Meric, Getty Images

4/11

Arnold Palmer, PGA Champion

Palmer became the face of golf for a generation, with great looks and a charming personality, he helped build his sport into a mainstream property.

Strangely, his favorite drink at country clubs (iced tea mixed with lemonade) has become an eponymous drink we’ve all grown to love, making his name one that will be mentioned whenever someone needs something sweet, cool and refreshing.

Photo Credit: Hulton Archive, Getty Images

5/11

Kimbo Slice, Fighter

Slice, also known as former Hurricanes linebacker Kevin Ferguson, died of heart failure this past summer.

It’s tough to classify Slice as the greatest fighter or wrestler, since his mixed martial arts career was, well, mixed. But his backyard brawls became the stuff of legends, and it’s safe to say, he’s a top-five person you’d never want to owe a lot of money to.

Photo Credit: Jeff Kravitz, Getty Images

6/11

Muhammad Ali, Heavyweight Boxer

There’s not much that can be said about the greatest boxing champion in history that hasn’t already been said. While “greatness” is often measured by wins, losses and knockouts in the sweet science, it was Ali’s greatness outside of the ring that truly made him one of the most revered and loved people on the planet, until he finally succumbed to a body that started to give out on him decades ago.

Ali was once called the most famous human on the planet, and the range of people that grieved his death is testimony to his range as a personality.

Photo Credit: The Stanley Weston Archive, Getty Images

7/11

Craig Sager, Sideline Reporter

Nearly everyone thinks of loud, flamboyant blazers when they hear the name Craig Sager. But the NBA sideline reporter, who we got to know through TNT broadcasts, as well as NBC Sports, TBS and CNN. Already dealing with terminally ill cancer in June, he got to work the sidelines during Game 6 of the 2016 NBA Finals on ESPN.

His greatness comes from the fact he’s really considered one of, if not the, greatest sideline reporter ever – and he added personality to a job that is relatively void of it.

Photo Credit: Jed Jacobsohn, Getty Images

8/11

Rashaan Salaam, Running Back

One of the more recent deaths, the former Heisman winner for the University of Colorado had an abbreviated NFL career with the Bears, Browns, Packers and 49ers.

Where does his “greatness” come in? Consider that he was just the fourth college football running back at the time to rush for over 2,000 yards as a junior in 1994.

Reports indicate that he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and that CTE might be part of the reason for his early demise.

Photo Credit: Otto Greule Jr., Getty Images

9/11

Jose Fernandez, Starting Pitcher

After recovering from 2014 Tommy John surgery, Fernandez was having another phenomenal season before he died on Sept. 25 in a boating accident off of Miami Beach.

Fernandez was just 24 years old, and he had set the Marlins’ franchise record with 253 strikeouts in 2016.

His “greatness” comes from the fact that his 4.2 WAR in his rookie season placed him among the 10-best ever in baseball at his age.

Photo Credit: Denis Poroy, Getty Images

10/11

Buddy Ryan, NFL Coach

This tough S.O.B. was the only one that could make the 1985 Bears defense shake in their cleats.

Ryan has widely been considered the greatest defensive coordinator in NFL history, after his “46 Defense” revolutionized the game.

Ryan was an innovator and revolutionary on the defensive side of the scrimmage line as much as Bill Walsh was on the other side.

Photo Credit: Heinz Kluetmeier, Getty Images

11/11

Bud Collins, Tennis Broadcaster

Considered the voice of tennis, Collins has been covering the sport since the late ‘70s, for CBS, NBC and ESPN. He died this past spring, but the tennis world has honored him all year, solidifying his place as one of the sport’s greatest historians.